AUDIE has been a Professional Performer and Instructor of Belly Dance since 1996 and is also a Certified Fitness Instructor and Shiatsu Practitioner. She has studied, taught and performed extensively in the New Jersey/New York area. As a knowledgeable and Instructor, she is skilled in breaking down techniques for students’ understanding. Audie’s study of RaqSharki, Persian, Baladi and various Folkloric and North African tribal dances are evident in her dazzling performances.

AUDIE has performed Belly Dance at many notable events including at Rakkasah East in NJ, East Coast Classic in Virginia, Dangerous Curves in Michigan, Steam Punk Festival in New Jersey, New York Renaissance Festival. AUDIE has also performed Belly Dance at many restaurants and cafes including, Trend Café and Mediterranea in Montclair, New Jersey; Zen Safari Cafe in Poconos Pennsylvania; Marrakesh in Parsippany New Jersey, Wicked Faire, Princeton, NJ and many more.

COMING MARCH 27, 2017: Online Belly Dance Classes. Can’t make it to my scheduled classes, but still want to enjoy the fun of belly dance? Soon you’ll be able to enjoy classes anytime. anywhere. Stay tuned more info coming soon.

I’ve been debating for a while now whether or not to post my performance videos on the infamous YouTube channel. Don’t get me wrong I really like YouTube. I enjoy how easy it is to share information, discover music, art and ideas that may not be in the mainstream. As a marketing tool it seems to be essential –right? How else could one reach so many people as easily and inexpensively?

But then of course, there is the dark side of this media. Viewers can hijack your post for their own political or commercial gain and rude comments have always annoyed me. Sure you can grow from constructive criticism but too often the comments are just mean. The anonymity of the web can bring out the worst in people.

Then of course one has to remember there really isn’t anything “private” on social or web-based media. Anything posted is there for all the world-wide-web to see. So prudence is always required. On these public forums millions of viewers are suddenly able to scrutinize and assess your performance. This fact alone can give stage freight to even the most seasoned performer.

So I weighed the pros and cons of going public with my videos. Since I needed to submit examples of my work for a teaching position at a conference, and was looking to promote myself as a performer, the pros outweighed the cons. I nervously selected a few of my best and most recent clips and posted them on my YouTube channel. I made it viewable to the public but turned off the comments option. It reminded me of my first dance performance. I was so scared, it seemed like the routine would never end.

Well it’s been two weeks and nothing horrible has happen. I received neither nasty emails nor requests that I should never dance again. Yeah! Hopefully I’m on my way to increasing my audience and add some professional polish to my profile. At the moment this seems to have been a good decision.

A while ago a fellow dancer asked me if I thought that we needed other types of exercise to stay in shape besides dance. Absolutely, I said. Personally speaking, exercises that I do outside of the dance studio have really helped my technique, stamina, range and overall body strength.

My cross train of choice is Pilates and yoga. I appreciate the attention to core strength, flexibility and posture. With these types of exercise one uses the body similarly to how we would dance. So it is a perfect fit for me.

I had spent years just dancing, thinking that it was all that I needed, until I wanted to perfect my floor work. The ab work of Pilates really helped without making my body bulky and stiff. My posture also benefits, breaking bad habits I didn’t even know I had. For me it’s also a great way to stretch my mind/body. To see what it can do –and what challenges I could overcome.

There are no end of fitness techniques and programs that pair well with dance. I have a troupe mate that does Zumba. She loves the energy and the cardio benefits. It’s enabled her to perform a six minute drum solo without getting winded. There’s another dancer I know who studies gymnastics and does incredible floor work.

I wonder if cross training is necessary only for older dancers. Perhaps for younger ones just the dance and whatever youth brings is enough. That being said there are fewer older long term/professional dancers than younger ones. Many stop dancing because of other responsibilities but even more stop because of injuries. Cross training in a technique that strengthens the body structurally could probably have extended their career.

I believe we need to keep an open mind when it comes to our practice. Not only artistically but also in how to support the body so that we could have a long and productive dance life.

Although it’s not technically Belly Dance, Folkloric dances are an important part of the art of Belly Dance. They have rhythmic names like Saidii, Zar, Beladi, Khaleegy, Hagallah, Fellahi and have a soulful, earthy quality. They are the foundations of the dance unfortunately; their existence is often unknown to many of today’s dancers and audiences.

I have a fascinating video of Nagua Fuad from the 80’s. She begins her routine with a classic Raq Sharqi. Then she goes into a Saidii cane segment followed by a Hagallah and several other folkloric dances all with traditional costumes and authentic music. It was a stunning display of her technical skills. At the time it was expected that dancers would exhibit several different techniques in one set.

Leila Haddad, in her last big show in the states (2011?) had a repertoire similar to Nagua’s and included Afghani and Indian dances. This type of show today is the exception rather than the norm. A typical Belly Dancer’s routine today consists of a dramatic veil number, mid tempo instrumental, drum solo, and a finale. A sword dance is included more often than a traditional Saidii cane dance. Even though there are traditional sword dances, the style that is usually done is quite modern (and Western in technique).

Why the change? Several possibilities come to mind. There could be fewer Instructors who know these wonderful dances to teach to new students. Possibly there is little call for then by theatrical/club/restaurant producers. Time restrictions may prevent performers from doing anything other than popular routines. Or, maybe the student dancers themselves aren’t interested in learning, favoring styles with which they are more comfortable.

Whatever the reason, I personally hope the tide will change. I love the authentic earthiness of Folkloric dances and take classes in them every chance I get. These are the origins of what we do today. Yet they have been polished with sparkly costumes and tweaked with ballet techniques to appeal to general audiences. Not a bad thing, but why not remember and enjoy all aspects of this art form. Just like in the Girl Scout song about old and new friends, “…one is silver and the other’s gold”.

Bloom Dance-Fitness
As a dance exercise this class focuses on toning, flexibility and cardio. But it’s much more. It is my hope that students will fall in love with their body –enjoy the energy of movement -relish the company of other sister and have a really good time in the process. Bloom Dancefit is not about becoming a size 0, but it about getting and staying healthy in body and mind. Let the spirit of dance move you!